Ventilating skylight



J. SYLVAN.

VENTILATING SKYLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC 17,1921.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

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VENTILATING SKYLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC, I7, I92I.

Patented Aug. 29, i922.

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v thereof, reference entre@ stares amena orti-ce.

JOSEPH SYLVAN, 0F CICERO, ILLINOIS.

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specification of Letters Patent Patented Ang. 29, 1922,

Application led December 17, 1921. Serial No. 523,019.

To all whom it may concern: A

Beit known that l, JOSEPH SYLVAN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Cicero, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Ventilating Skylights;and I do -hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription being had to the accomand to the letters of refpan indrawings y g which form a part erence marked thereon, of thisspecification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n Ventilating skylights andconsists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

One of theobj ects of the present invention is to provide a skylightwherein the upper or ridge panel sections are so connected as to becapable of being swung as a unit, and

the two lower sections are each pivotally connected, at their outermargins, to the frame structure so as to be swung inwardly, inde--pendently of each other. Another object of the invention is to provide aSimple and efcient pivotal connection between the outer marginal partsof the lower panel lsections and the skylight structure.

Still a further object of the "invention is i to provide a new and noveloperating mechanism for swingingthe lower panel sections from a fullclosed to a full open position and vice versa, or for holding them inany position between saidffull closed and full opened position.

These objects of the invention as well as others, together with the manyadvantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with myspecification.

In the drawings z- Figure 1 represents a transverse section through askylight construction embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a View in elevation on an en larged scale .of an operatingmechanism embodied in my improved skylight;-

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation ofthe parts shown in'Fig 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fi ure 5 is a horizontal detail section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

f Figure 6 is Ja detail section through one of the. glazing bars, astaken on the line 6-6 of tFig. 1.

Referring now in detail to that embodinent of my invention illustratedin the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates as a whole one of the trussesof the skylight frame or structure. This truss includes a transverselyextending `bottom bar '11, a. centrally arranged upright post or bar 12,and oppositely inclined rafter bars 13. The rafter bars are connected attheir outer ends to the like ends of the horizontal bar 11 and areconnected at their inner ends to the upright post 12 intermediate itsends. -The ends of alll the horizontal bars 11 rest upon and areembedded in the top marginal parts of the curb walls 1/1 (only one ofwhich is shown in Fig. 1) which define the skylight opening in thebuilding roof 15. The structure thus far described is preferably made ofangle bar. Journalled in the posts 12 are tw'o longitudinal shafts 16and 17 respectively, the purpose of which will appear later. The shaft16 is located at the extreme top ends of said posts, while the shaft 17is located in a plane between the transverse bar 11 and the pointofattachment of the rafters to said middle posts or standard 12. Securedto the outer ends of the transverse frame and rafter bars, in'

the vetical plane of each curb-wall 14, is

a substantially heavy gutter strip .18, the

clined legs 22, normally extending in planes parallel to the rafter bars13. The outer ends of the said legs of the glazing bars are fixed tolongitudinally extending, flat panel frame bars 23 and to each frame baris attached a weather-strip having a flange 24 arranged at a right angleto the legs of said glazing bars. Restingat their lateral margins uponthe glazing bars are the panels 26 preferably of glass, there beinglayers or pads of putty 27 in't'enposed between the glazing bars 'andthe margins of said panels (see Fig. 6). Said panels 'substantially meetat the rige of the skylight where putty 28 (see ig. l) is provided Athepanel frame bars 23.

the space between the adjacent ends of the panels. Said e'nds arefurther enclosed by a longitudinally extending. ridge strip 29.Associated with each glazing bar 22 is a sheet metal cap strip 30,extending from end to end of the glazing bar and over the ridge stri-p29 in such manner as to hold the same in its proper position. The topmarginal parts of the weather strip anges 24 provide the end stops-forthe outerlends of the panels 26. A

\ Associated with the upperor ridgeM sec-. tions 20 is a plurality ofsecondary rafter vbars 31 which extend parallel with the glazhaving anaxis coincident'with that of theV shaft 16. Said arcuate bar has rackteeth 33 at its middle which are in mesh lwith a gear pinion 34 fixed tothe shaft 17. Also fixed to said shaft is a chain pulley 'wheel 35'actuated from below by a chain 36. It is apparent from the foregoingthat the sides.

of the upper or ridge panel sections will counter-balance each other sothat they Will normally stand in the full li'neqposition shown in F ig.1 when they cover or over; hang substantially :one-half ofthe skylightopening 15.

The lower panel sections 21 normally extend at an angle different fromthat of the upper panel sections 20 and are made up ofa plurality oflongitudinally spaced,

inverted 'iT-shaped glazing bars 37 which are fixed at their top orinner ends to one flange 38 of a longitudinal channel bar 39. The otherflange 40 of said channel normally engages against the inner surface ofthe bottom part of the weather-strip flange 24.

- The outer or bottom ends of the glazing bars 37 are secured to alongitudinal flat bar 41, one marginal part of which engages beneath thehook flange 19 of the gutter strip. 18. Interposed between the ends ofthe glazing bars 37 and the flat bar 41 is a cover strip 42 which, hasajweb shoulder 43 associated with` the glazing bars, which are securedthereto in the same manner as the panels 26 are secured tothe glazingAbars 22'. The outer marginal part 44 of each cover strip is bent backupon itself, and engages the outer surface of the hook flange 19 asshown in Fig. 1 and thus prevents the formation of ice or the entranceof snow or rain into the gutter strip 18.-

As is apparent, the hook flange 19 and the bar 41 provide a pivotal orhinged con` nection for the lower panelsection 21, about .truss bar.

which the sanie may be swung, the inclined position of said lower panelsection acting to hold the hook flange and bar in the proper coactingposition.

Means are provided( for swinging each The horizontal flange `of eachtruss -bar 11 is provided at each side of the upright post 12 withseries of equally spaced holesl 50. Capable of a rolling movement onsaid flange are toothed cylindricafmembers or rollers 51, one associatedwith each of the lower panel sections 21. Each `roller has teeth 52which engage in the holes 5() in the manner of a rack and pinion. Therollers 51 are fixed on longitudinal vshafts 53 and to each shaft isfixed a chain pulley 54 about which an endless operating chain 55 istrained. Associated with each toothed roller is a link 56, through whichthe shafts 53 extend as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said link being arrangedadjacent the ,vertical flange of the truss bar 11. The top end of thelink is pivotally connected to an eye 57 on the channel bar 39, whilethe bottom end of 4said baris bent as shown and has aiiixed to one sidea bracket or hook 58, the bottom end of said bar and said vbracketreceiving, between them, the vertical flan e of the truss, bar 11. Thetop end oft e hook 58 is so constructed that it will substantiallyengage, at all times, with the bottom surface of the horizontal flangeofthe It is apparent thatv the link ban not shift in a direction parallelwith the shafts nor vcan the shafts and rollers be yvertically displacedwith reference to the truss bar. Thus the rollers' areheld in properposition and can only travel vor be rolled longitudinally of the trussbar 1.1.

Associated with each chain pulley 54 is a chain guard which includes aspider plate 1 6() having two horizontal arms 61 and a vertical arm 62,said plate having a bearing hole through which the shaft 53 extends.

.The arms 61, 62 have their ends bent to partially embrace the otherside of the pulley wheel and thus prevent the chain 55 from jumping off'the pulley. Secured to the horizontal arms of the chain guard are thevertical arms 63 of a depending U-shaped bracket or yoke 64. Thehorizontal cross member 65 of said bracket is bowed upwardly at itsmiddle and near the ends `thereof are provided key-hole shaped openings66 through which the laps of the chain extends. The restricted ends ofsaid open ings are defined by fusible metal blocks 66a (see Fig. 5)which, under certain conditions, act in a manner to appear later.Secured to the vertical arms of said yoke are horizontal bars 67, thefree ends of which engage upon the top surface of the horizontal swingflanges of the truss bars 11 and prevent the chain guard from rotatingwith the shaft 53.

The operation is as follows: Assume that all the sections are in theirnormally closed position as shown in full lines in -Fig. 1 and that thelower sections have been locked in this position against opening underthe action of gravity, by reason of the chains being caught in therestricted parts of the openings 66. Assume that it is desired to thatlower section 21 at the left-hand side of the skylight, into openposition. The operator. grasps the right-hand lap of the chain 55 andfrees it from the restricted part of the associated slot 66 and pullsdownwardly on the same. rlhis will rotate the pulley 54 and the roller51 in a clockwise direction, causing the roller to travel or roll on thetruss bar 11 toward the post 12. As the roller thus moves, the shaft 53will move with it, the link 56 changing its position to allow the panelsection 21 to swing downwardly "about the hook flange pivotal connectionuntil it rests upon the rafter bars 13 as sho-wn in dotted'lines in Fig.1, which is the full open position for this panel section. Said panelsection may, if desired, be locked in a partway open position, simplyby, pulling the active lap of the chain 55 inwardly toward they middleof the yoke 64 to again engage and catchit in the restricted narrowerpart of the key-hole opening 66 defined by the fusible block 664, in

said yoke.

The righthand lower panel section 21 may be swung in the same manner asjust dey scribed, into the full open position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. When both lower sections are in their full open positions,thewind may blow in beneath one margin of the top panel section and thenover or across the skylight opening and out beneath the other marginofthe top panel section.

When both lower sections are in the open position and it is desired tohave an opening at one side only, of an increased area, the chain 36associated with the upper panel section is actuated to swing the same asa unit about the shaft 16 as an axis, until the margin of one sidethereof (the lefthand side as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) restsupon the lefthand lower panel section. As the top sections swing as aunit, the righthand half will of course move upwardly away from therighthand lower panel section, into substantially a horizontal plane,increasing the area of the opening as is apparent from the dottedlinesin Fig. 1. Thus when the wind is blowing from left to right, avacuous condition is set up at the margin of the righthand half of theupper section, which will establish. a suction action providing anup-draft through the said opening. 1t is apparent that a wide variety ofopenings may be had by the different relative poupwardly opening hookflange,

sitions of the panel sections, so that any degree of Ventilation withincertain limits is possible.

Should the sections be in the closed position shown in full lines inFig. 1 and should a fire occur in the building room beneath theskylight, the fusible blocks 66a defining the restricted parts of theslots 66 in the yokes 64, will fuse and free the chains 55 so that thelower sections would swing downwardly, under gravity, into openposition, the operating mechanisms moving toward the post 12 toaccommodate for such opening of said panel section. 1n this movement thesaid operating mechanisms will act to somewhat retard the 'openingmovement of the said sections so that no slam will occur to break thepanels. Thus the lower section will open automatically in case of lire.

The many advantages are readily apparent from the foregoing description.While in describing 'my invention I have referred to certain details ofmechanical construction and arrangement of parts, I do not wish to belimited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

1 claim as my invention 1. A Ventilating skylight comprising incombination, a frame structure, upper and lower panel sections, on saidframe structure, means providing a hook flange on said frame structure,and a member on one longitudinal margin of the lower panel sectionengaged with said hook flange and providing a hinge joint between theframe structure and lsaid lower panel section, about which the lowerpanel section may be swung.

2. A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination, a frame structure,upper and lower panel sections on said frame structure, means on theouter lmarginal part of the frame structure providing a longitudinal,

and a longitudinal member on the outer marginal part of the lower panelsection, engaged with said hook flange and providing a hinge jointbetween the frame structure and said lower panel section, about whichsaid lower' panel section may be swung.

3. A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination, a frame structure,upper and lower panel sections on said frame structure, means on framestructure providing a longitudinal, upwardly opening hook flange, alongitudinal member on the outer marginal part of the lower panelsection, engaged with said hook flange and providing va hinge jointbetween said frame structure and lower panel'section about which saidlower panel section may be swung, and a weather strip carried by theouter marginal part of said lower panel section for enclosing said hingejoint.

the outer marginal part of the combination with a frame structure,including frame bars, upper land lower'panel sections on said framestructure, means providing a hinged connection between the bottom marginof said lower panel section and said 'frame structure about which saidlower panel section4 may be swung, an operating device mounted on and.capablepof being moved along one of said,frame bars, and meansconnecting said operating device with the inner margin of said lowerpanel section.

5. A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination with a framestructure," including frame bars, upper and lower panel sections on saidframe structure about which said lower panel section may be swung, atoothed member having a traveling engagement with one of said frainebars, means operable from .below for causing said toothed member totravel on said frame bar, and a link operatively connecting said toothedmember with the inner marginal part-of said lower panel section.

6. A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination with a framestructure, including frame bars, upper and'lower panel sections on saidframe structure about which said lower panel toothed member having7 atraveling engagement with one of said frame bars, means operable frombelow for causing said toothed member to travel on said frame bar, alink operatively connecting said toothed member with the innermarginalvpart of said lower panel section, and means for holding saidtoothed member in engagement with said frame bar as it travels along thesame. 7. A. Ventilating skylight comprising in combination with a framestructure, including frame bars, upper and lowerpanel sections on saidframestructure about which said lower panel section may be swung, atoothed member having a traveling engagement with one ofcsaid framebars, means operable from below -for causing said toothed member totravel on said frame bar, a link operatively connecting said toothedinember with the inner marginal part of said panel section, said linkbeing constructed to prevent displacement between said toothed memberand said frame bar.

'8. A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination with a framestructure, including a transversely extending angle bar having spacedholes in its horizontal flange, upper and lower panel sections on saidframe structure, means providing a hinged connection between the bottommargin of said lower panel section and said frame structure about whichsaid lower panel section may be swung, a. toothed wheel capable oftraveling upon the horizontal fiange of said angle bar with the teeththereof engaging in said spaced holes, a link operatively connectingsaid toothed member with the 1nsection may be swung, a`

ley wheel fixed to with said toothed member, travel along said anglebar.

9. A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination with a framestructure, including frame bars, upper and lower panel sections on saidframe structure, means providing a hinged connection between the bottommargin of said lower panelsection and said frame structure about whichsaid lower panel section may be swung, a toothed member having atravelin engagement with said frame bar, a'sliaft toothed member, a linkp-ivoted at one end to the topy margin of said lower panel secition andhaving a hole near its other end through which said shaft extends, apulley fixed to the shaft near one end of said toothed member and achain passing over said pulley and operable from below for rotating saidpulley in either direction.

10. yIncombination with a frame structure, including a bar, a panelsection having a hinged connection along one margin with said framestructure, an operating device for swinging said section about itshinged connection, comprising a member having a toothed engagement withsaid bar, a shaft to which said member is fixed, a chain pulsaid shaft,and a chain for causing it to means operable from. below and connectedxed coaxially of said guard mounted on said shaft for preventing thechain from jumping the pulley, and means on said guard engaging said barfor guiding said guard in its movement as said toothed member travelsalong said bar.

l1. In combination with .a frame struc'-v ture, including ya bar, apanel section having t a hinged connection along one margin withsaid'frame structure, an operating device for swinging said sectionabout its hinged connection, comprising a member havingl a toothedengagement with said-bar, a shaft to whichsaid member is fixed, a chainpulley wheel fixed to said shaft, an endless chain passing over thepulley, and a chain guard mounted on the shaft adjacent the pulley, andincluding a bottom cross bar having key hole openings throughwhich thelaps of said chains Yextend and by means of` which the chain may belocked to determine the position of the toothed member on said framebar. l2.` A Ventilating skylight comprising in combination with a framestructure, including a transversely extending frame bar, upper and lowerpanel sections on said frame structure, means providing a hingedconnection between the -outer margin of the lower panel sections havingtwo downwardly and outwardly diverging sides which are pivoted on ahorizontal axis at the top ends of said posts,'means connecting theouter margins of the sides of said panel together, means providing apivotal connection between the bottom margins of said lower panelsections and said frame structure, about which the lower panel sectionmay -be swung, and an operating mechanism associated with each panelsection for swinging it about its pivot, the parts being so arrangedthat one or the other of the lower panel sectiones must be at least in apartway open position before a swinging movement can be imparted to theupper panel section.

14. In combination with a skylight frame structure, a panel sectionhaving a pivotal connection therewith, a chain actuated, oper- 13. AVentilating skylight comprising inl combination, a frame structureincluding upright center posts, upper and lower panel sections onsaidframe structure, said upper ating mechanism for swinging said panel,a chain guard having parts with holes therein through which said chainextends, and fusible means carried by the guard and adapted to beengaged by the chain to lock thel same against movement through theguard.' y

15. In combination with a skylight frame structure, a panel sectionhaving a pivotal connection therewith, an operating mechanism capable ofmovement onv said frame structure, a chain for actuating said mechanism,and a chain guard having key-hole shaped openings through which thechain passes, the narrower part of said openings being defined by ayfusible block adapted to be engaged by one of the links of the chain.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my invention, l affix mysignature inthe presence of two witnesses, this 14th day of December,Al). 1921. Y

Josera sYLvA-N."

